1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicular upholstery fabric mainly composed of polypropyleneterephthalate fibers.
2. Description of the Related Art
For preservation of the global environment, natural fibers such as cotton, linen, silk, wool, and the like are preferably used since these fibers do not depend on petroleum resources.
In this regard, a polypropyleneterephthalate fiber, hereinafter referred to as “PPT-fiber”, and a polylacticacid fiber, are synthetic fibers that can be produced from natural plant fibers rather than from petroleum.
Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 2000-154457, Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 2002-004156, Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 2003-105653, Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 2000-328393, and Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 2005-113279 disclose PPT-fiber and polylacticacid fiber that can be used for a vehicular upholstery fabric. Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 2004-404362 discloses a vehicular upholstery fabric that has a high and low pile pattern fabric made from chenille yarns having pile lengths from a core yarn.
Since the vehicular upholstery fabric is used under severe conditions, a polyethyleneterephthalate fiber is mainly used for the vehicular upholstery fabric because natural fibers and rayon fibers are lacking in durability. Thus, natural fibers and rayon fibers are not desirably used for vehicular upholstery fabric.
In this regard, PPT-fibers and polylacticacid fibers are not unexpected as new materials used for vehicular upholstery fabric, since the chemical formulas of polypropyleneterephthalate and polylacticacid are similar to the chemical formula of polyethyleneterephthalate, also known as “PET”.
However, polylacticacid fiber is lacking in corrosion resistance since it is a type of biodegradable fiber. Further, polylacticacid fiber is lacking in the ability to absorb dyes.
Therefore, in the case of the application of polylacticacid fiber for use as a vehicular upholstery fabric, it must be chemically treated.
In this regard, in comparison with PET-fiber, the Young's Modulus of PPT-fiber is lower, the rate of elastic recovery of PPT-fiber is higher, and PPT-fiber is rich in flexibility and stretching property.
Thus, it is expected that vehicular upholstery fabric having an agreeable texture will be obtained by using PPT-fiber rather than PET-fiber.
However, in a chenille yarn formed from a PPT-fiber, its pile called “decorative yarn” and core yarn are merely fitting together.
Thus, in the case of the application of pile fabric formed from chenille yarn, of which piles are composed of PPT-fibers, to the portions of a seat cover, a backrest, an armrest and the like, where human extremities touch, the piles easily fall off due to physical movements of the extremities.
Because, with regard to pile fabric, the chenille yarn is stretched elastically, repeatedly and alternately following the movements of other warp yarns and other weft yarns of the pile fabric. As a result, the portions where the core yarn and piles of the chenille yarn fit together gradually become loosened by fatigue.
Further, in the weaving process of the high and low pile pattern fabric disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 2004-404362, it needs to meet the bumpy portion of the chenille yarn to the high low pattern portion one by one at every time of weaving the chenille yarn.
This positioning pattern must be carried out by hand, by visually checking the bumpy portions of the chenille yarn and the pattern portions.
Accordingly, the weaving efficiency of the high and low pile pattern fabric disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 2004-404362 is extremely low.
In addition, the chenille yarn used for high and low pile pattern fabric is highly expensive in comparison with the general chenille yarn of simple colour which does not have designed irregularities on its surface.
Thus, though the high and low pile pattern fabric disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 2004-404362 may be suitable for decorative and artistic woven fabric handicrafts such as dress belts, thick curtains and the like, it is not suitable for mass produced fabrics such as vehicular upholstery fabric and the like.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to obtain the high and low pile pattern fabric suitable for the vehicular upholstery fabric by using general chenille yarn in simple colour without using highly expensive chenille yarn for the high and low pile pattern fabric.
Another object of the present invention is to apply PPT-fiber to the pile fabric formed by using chenille yarns for weft yarn.
Another object of the present invention is to effectively use the character of PPT-fiber which is superior in stretching property.
Further, another object of the present invention is to obtain, by using PPT-fiber, a high and low pile pattern fabric which is agreeable to the touch, superior in durability, and suitable for use as vehicular upholstery fabric.